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Mauritania set for landmark poll

Mauritanians to vote for civilian president after dictatorship and military rule.

11 Mar 2007 07:51 GMT

Ely Ould Mohamed Vall assumed power in a coup in 2005 [EPA]

Vall toppled autocratic ruler Maaouiya Ould Taya in a bloodless coup in 2005, and had long promised that power would be transferred to civilians.

"This is the moment when Mauritanians will come of age," he said.

Voting

About 2,400 polling stations will open between 7:00am (0700GMT) and 7:00pm (1900 GMT) and voting is to be observed by some 300 international poll watchers.

Many citizens said they want the new president to ensure wealth from the country's natural resources is distributed more fairly.

"We have everything in our country, fisheries, oil, mining. What we want is good government"

Diathir Mamadou, Mauritarian civilian

"We have everything in our country, fisheries, oil, mining. What we want is good government," said Diatahir Mamadou, who lives in Nouakchott's sprawling Keube shantytown, mostly inhabited by black Mauritanians.

Black Mauritanians are looking for more equitable government after suffering discrimination and slavery under a centuries-old caste system that kept the white Moorish elite in power.

Slavery was legally banned in 1981 but rights groups say it still exists in parts of the country

A record 19 candidates jostling for the country's top job have ended their two-week campaigns, which passed off peacefully.

"The campaign went by in absolute calm and without the slightestof incidents," Vall said.

Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi, an economist and minister under two presidents, has the backing of a coalition of the political forces which commands the majority in parliament.

His main rival is Ahmed Ould Daddah, who has unsuccessfully ran for the presidency twice since 1992.

Legacy

The vote is the final stage in a transition of the country tocivilian democracy after the coup ended 20 years of dictatorshipunder Ould Taya.